Morocco in 10 Days: From Marrakech to the Sahara

Land at Menara Airport and take a taxi to your riad in the medina. Agree on the price before getting in (150-200 MAD).

Get lost among the spice, leather, carpet and ceramics souks. Each street has had its own guild for centuries.

Africa's most vibrant square: snake charmers, gnawa musicians, acrobats and storytellers. Food stalls appear at dusk.

Pick a stall where locals are sitting (a sign of quality). Try the harira, lamb skewers and fresh orange juice.

The garden created by Jacques Majorelle and restored by Yves Saint Laurent. Intense blue, giant cacti and the Berber Museum.

A 19th-century masterpiece of Moroccan architecture. Courtyards with zellige tiles, carved cedar ceilings and interior gardens.

Modern Moroccan cuisine with a terrace overlooking the souks. Lamb tagine with prunes and almonds is outstanding.

Discovered in 1917 after being hidden for centuries. A mausoleum with 66 tombs decorated with mosaics and Carrara marble.

An essential experience: steam bath, exfoliation with a kessa glove and argan oil massage.

The old Jewish quarter retains its synagogue and spice market. El Badi Palace is majestic ruins crowned with stork nests.

A 14th-century Quranic school. The stucco, tile and carved-wood architecture is among the most beautiful in Morocco.

Terrace with views over Rahba Kedima square. Moroccan salads, chicken pastilla and mint tea.

Learn to make tagine, couscous and pastilla with a local chef. Includes a market visit to buy ingredients.

Many riads offer dinner for guests with a set menu. A relaxed way to end the day with good food and views.

Drive by 4x4 or minibus across the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260 m). Spectacular mountain scenery.

A UNESCO World Heritage ksar (fortified village). Filming location for Gladiator, Game of Thrones and Lawrence of Arabia.

The gateway to the desert. Lunch at a local restaurant with chicken and preserved-lemon tagine.

Drive through the Dades Valley past terracotta-coloured adobe kasbahs nestled among palms and rock formations.

Stay at a hotel overlooking the canyon. Dinner included with home-style Berber cuisine.

300-metre-high canyon walls with only 10 metres between them at the narrowest point. Breathtaking.

Cross the pre-arid landscape past Berber villages, palm groves and hammada (stone desert).

A town known for its fossils. Lunch with Moroccan salad and brochettes.

Climb onto a dromedary and cross golden dunes up to 150 metres high. Sunset in the Sahara is unforgettable.

Dinner under the stars with gnawa music, a campfire and a night sky that takes your breath away. Sleep in a luxury tent.

Climb the tallest dune near camp and watch the sun rise over the sea of sand. Impossible colours.

Msemmen crepes, homemade jam, olive oil, mint tea and bread baked in the sand.

A full day on the road crossing the Middle Atlas. The landscape shifts from desert to cedar forests.

Mountain town at the halfway point. Beef tagine with prunes and almonds.

Arrive at your riad in the Fes medina. First exploratory walk through the nearby streets.

The largest medina in the world (9,000 alleyways). An official guide is essential to navigate and understand the history.

The medieval tannery where leather is dyed by hand with natural pigments. The smell is strong but the sight is unique.

A restaurant set in a 14th-century palace garden. Moroccan-fusion cuisine in a magical setting.

The two most beautiful madrasas in Fes. Zellige tiles, stucco and cedarwood in pristine condition.

Panoramic views over the entire medina at sunset. The best vantage point to grasp the scale of Fes.

The most famous blue gate in Morocco. Final stroll through the medina and last-minute souvenir shopping.

4 hours through the Rif Mountains. Surprisingly green landscape for Morocco.

The main square of Chefchaouen surrounded by blue facades. Couscous with seven vegetables and tagine.

Every corner is a photograph. Streets, staircases, doors and plant pots painted in every shade of blue imaginable.

Restaurant with a terrace above the medina. Pigeon (or chicken) pastilla and mint tea with mountain views.

Morning hike in Talassemtane National Park. A 1-hour trail to the Bridge of God, a natural rock arch over the river.

3 hours along the Rif coast to Tangier, where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic.

Fresh fish and seafood with views of the Strait of Gibraltar. Grilled sardines and garlic prawns.

The point where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet. The caves have an opening shaped like the map of Africa.

Tangier's medina has a cosmopolitan air: Burroughs, Bowles and Matisse all lived here. Dinner at a literary cafe.

Domestic flight Tangier-Essaouira (1 h) or coastal drive (6 h by car/bus). Alternative: fly to Marrakech and drive 2.5 h.

The 18th-century Portuguese ramparts protect a port where fishermen sell the day's catch.

Choose your fish at the port stalls and they grill it on the spot. Fresh, cheap and incredible.

A UNESCO medina, more relaxed than Marrakech. Art galleries, thuya-wood crafts and gnawa music shops.

Huge beach with constant wind, surfers, camels and the medina silhouette in the background. The perfect farewell to Morocco.